Apparatus for cutting strip material



Oct. 23, 1945. E. A. DAvls 2,387,650

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING STRIP MATERIAL Oct. 23, 1945. E. A. DAVIS2,387,650

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING STRIP MATERIAL Filed NOV. 24, 1942 2 Sheets-SheetV2 36 35 33 34 13a J' 3,3 3'/ ,48 M6 z MIEL /7/ .aLJsEa/'EIsL/is'Patented oef. 23, 1945 2,387,650 APPARATUS Foa CUTTING STRIP MATERIALEdward A. Davis, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company,New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 24,1942, serial No. 466,779

(ci. 1st-.sli

Claims.

, This invention relates to the cutting of strip material intodeterminate lengths and is especially useful in cutting readilydistortable strip Inaterial such as rubber hose and tubing.

Heretofore great diillculty has been experienced in cutting readilydistortable strip material such as rubber hose or tubing accurately tolength due to the fact that when fed past a cutter against a stop thehose` or tubing has been distorted by compression. When cut in distortedcondition the resulting ends have not been straight due to recovery ofthe material, and

lengths have not been accurate due to unequal longitudinal compression.

The present invention aims to overcome the foregoing and otherldifficulties and to provide improved apparatus and procedure.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide uniformity inlength of the cut pieces, to provide accurately squared ends, to avoiddistortion during the cutting operation, to provide for cutting atvarious angles, and to combine accuracy with speed and facility ofoperation.

These and other objects will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus constructed in accordance withand embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof, partly in section and partly brokenaway.

Fig. 4 is a schematic wiring diagram.

'I'he invention provides for advancing the strip material against astop, then discontinuing the advance and initiating a retracting`movement to relieve the pressure of the material against the stop. Theretracting material is stopped approxlmately in contact with the stop sothat it is relieved of strain and its position is determinate,bwhereuponthe material is cut to length and its advance may be resumed.

In the illustrated form of apparatus of the invention a length of stripmaterial is advanced along a guideway, as by feeding rolls, into contactwith an electrical contact means as a stop thereby breaking a contactcontrolling the forward feed of the strip and closing a reversingcircuit resulting in reversal of rotation of the feed rolls. As thestrip moving back `from the stop again changes the electrical contacts.the control circuits are both opened stopping return of the strip andthe strip, free from distortion,

is severed. The strip is then again advanced and the stop isautomatically moved out of the path of the cut piece.

Referring to the drawings, the working parts of the apparatus aremounted on a frame I0 having legs il, |2, I3,A I4, and a rectangularupper frame member I5. mounted on the top of the upper frame member i5and suppOrts a rotatable table I8 having a diametrical clearance slotI8a for clearing a rotatable cutter disc i3. The table I8 is adapted tobe clamped -to the plate Il in a. range of rotative positions by a clampscrew 20. An arm 2| extends radially from table I3 and has a hingebearing at its outer end to which a swing frame 22 is pivotally securedby a hinge pin 23. Swing frame 22 has an electric motor 24 mounted onone end thereof, and is formed with a horizontal bearing 25 at itsopposite end. A spindle 26 is journaled in bearing 25 and has a circularknife I8 fixed to it at one end, and a V-grooved pulley 28 fixed at itsother end.4 Motor 24 has a V-grooved pulley 29 in line with pulley 28and drives the circular knife through a V-belt 30.

A guard 3| encloses circular knife I9 and is fixed to table I8. An arm32 is fixed to swing frame 22. A double-acting fluid-pressureoperatedcylinder 33 is pivotally secured as by a pin 34 to arm 32. Its pistonrod 35 is pivotally secured to guard 3|, as by a pin 36. The arrangementis such that circular knife I9 can be moved toward and away from tableI8 by cylinder 33 in any position of adjustment of the table i8 andwhile the knife is being driven by motor 24.

For guiding strip material, such as the hose 40, past the cuttingposition, tunnel guides 4|,

\42 are adjustably secured to plate I1 atopposite sides of the knife.Guides 4|, 42 have their ends adjacent the knife mitered, as at 4ta, 42arespectively, to permit cutting at angles up to 45 degrees.

For feeding the strip to the knife, a pair of pedestal brackets 43, 44are fixed to frame member I5. A feed rolle'r 45 i'lxed to a shaft 46 isjournaled in the brackets. A second feed roller 41 is conilned invertical slots 43a, 44a of the brackets. These rollers have bodies ofsponge rubber and coverings of stockinet fabric. Roller 41 is pressedagainst roller 45 by tension screws 50, 5| threaded through thebrackets, and coil springs 52, 53 which are pressed against roller 41 bysaid screws 50 and 5|. The soft sponge' A bed plate Il is are providedahead of the rollers 45, 41 to guide the strip thereto.

For driving the feed rollers in either direction,

an electric motor 60 is mounted below frame I0 l and has a speed reducer6| fixed thereto. A countershaft 62 is horizontally mounted for rotationin bearings formed in vertically disposed frame members 63, 64 fixed toframe |0. Shaft 62 has a sprocket 65 fixed thereto, in line with asprocket 66 on the speed reducer, from which it is driven by a chain 61.A second countershaft 66 is journaled in frame members 63, 64 aboveshaft 62 and is driven at a slower speed in the opposite direction byspeed reducing spur gears 69, 10 fixed respectively to shafts 62 and 68and meshing with each other. A sprocket 15 is rotatably mounted aboutshaft 46, and a sprocket 11 is fixed to shaft 62 in line therewith and.drives sprocket 15 through a chain 18. A clutch member 19 is slidablymounted on a feather keyed portion of shaft 46 and has clutch teeth forengaging similar cooperating clutch teeth on sprocket 15. A shifterlever 80 is pivoted on an arm 8| fixed to frame member 63. One end ofthe lever engages the clutch member 19 and the other end is pivotallysecured to the armature of a pull-type solenoid 82. The arrangement issuch that when solenoid 82 is energized, the clutch member 19 disengagesthe sprocket 15 which drives shaft 46 in one direction.

A second clutch member 85 is slidably mounted on another feather-keyedportion of shaft 46 and has clutch teeth for engaging similar teeth on asprocket 86 rotatably mounted on the shaft. Sprocket 86 is driven by avchain 88 from a solenoid 80 and simultaneously closes the circuit tosolenoid 62 reversing the rolls 45, 41 at slow speed. Such reversalretracts the advanced end of the strip freeing it of distortion. As theend releases the Micro Switch, the circuit to solenoid 82 is againopened and that of solenoid 80 is again closed, but no reversal of therolls takes place as the circuit supplying current to solenoid 80 hasbeen broken by a control circuit hereinafter described. The arrangementis such that the strip is stopped at the cutting position free fromendwise compression or other distortion.

To provide for swinging the Micro Switch stop out of the way before thestrip is again fed forward and thereby preventing reversal of the feedrolls by the cut piece, the stop |00 is mounted as follows: A carriage|02 is adiustably mounted on rails |03, |04 for sliding movement towardand away from the feed rolls. A clamp screw |05 locks it in anyposition. Stop |00 is supported from the carriage |02 by parallel motionlinks |06, |01. A double-acting pressure-fiuid-operated cylinder |08 ispivotally secured to carriage |02, as at |09. Its piston rod ||0 ispivotally connected to link |06. A fixed stop 2|2 is mounted on thecarriage to engage the stop |00 at the most advanced position of thepiston rod.

A solenoid-operated four-way fluid control valve I|3 is mounted on plate|1 and is connected to opposite ends of cylinder |08 by ilex- `ible hoseconnections ||4, ||5. It is supplied sprocket 81 in line therewith fixedto shaft 68. A

shifter lever 89 is pivoted on arm -8I and one end of it engages clutchmember 85 while the other end engages the armature of a pull-typesolenoid 90. When solenoid 90 is energized it disengages the clutchmember 85 from sprocket 66. Coil springs 9|, 92 are loosely mountedabout a rod 93 fixed to frame member 63. Spring 9| presses shifter lever80 in a direction to engage clutch member 19 with sprocket 15 and spring92 presses lever 89 in a direction to engage clutch member 85 withsprocket 66. Nuts 84, 95' threaded on rod 93 are positioned to adjustthe tension of springs 9|, 92 respectively. A lever 200 is pivotallymounted as at 20| to frame member 63. One end of the lever engages a pin202 carried by the amature of solenoid 82, and the other end engages apin 203 carried by the armature of solenoid 90. The arrangement is suchthat the clutches 19, 85 are blocked against engaging at the same time.Roller 41 is driven from shaft 46 by spur gears 91, 96 fixed to roller41 and shaft 46 respectively. The arrangement is such that when sprocket15 is clutched, rolls 45, 41 feed the strip forward at high speed andwhen sprocket 86 is clutched rolls 45, 41 are reversed and feed thestrip back at slower speed.

For' regulating the length of cut a stop |00 is located in the path oftravel of the strip. In order to prevent inaccuracy and to avoid cuttingwhile the strip is under distortion or moving, an electric circuitcontroller in the form of a Micro Switch |0| mounted on the stop |00 ,isemployed to control the movements of the strip ,through operation ofsolenoids 82, 90. 'Ihe arrangement is such that, with solenoid 90energized and solenoid 82 de-energized and the rolls 45, 41, feeding thestrip toward the leftvin Figs. 1 and 2 or t0- ward the stop, the leadingend of the strip contacts the switch |0|. This opens the circuit to withcompressed air or other fluid from'a supply line ||6 and has an exhaustl|1. The valve is normally held by a spring ||8 in a position to supplycompressed air from pipe ||6 to the left end of cylinder |08, as seen inFig. ,1, and to connect the right end of the cylinder to exhaust ||1,but may be reversed by a solenoid ||9. The arrangementis such that whensolenoid I8 is energized, the stop |00 is swung to therleft out of thepath of the oncoming strip, and when it is deenergized, the stop isreturned and held firmly in its measuring position by the duid pressure.

For raising and lowering the cutter, a fourway solenoid-operated valve|25 is mounted below the frame l0 of the machine and is connected to asource of fluid pressure (not shown) by a pipe |26. Pipes |21, |28 leadfrom the valve delivery ports to flexible tubes |29, |30 respectively,whereby the valve is connected to the opposite ends of cylinder 33.Valve |25 has an exhaust |3|. Solenoids |32, |33 on the valve areadapted, when alternately energized, to supply fluid under pressurealternately to opposite ends of the cylinder 33. The arrangement is suchthat when solenoid |32 is energized, fluid flows from line |26 throughpipe |21 and tube |29 to the closed end of cylinder 33 and the oppositeend of the cylinder is opened through tube |30, pipe |28 and valve |25to the exhaust |3|, and the cutter is moved downwardly toward the table,and when solenoid |32 is de-energized and solenoid |33 energized, fluidfrom line |26 flows through valve |25 to the rod end oi.'` cylinder 33by way of pipe |28 and tube |30, and the closed'end of the cylinderexhausts through tube |29, and pipe |21, and the cutter is raised to itsupper position. A limit switch |34 on arm 2| and electrically'in thecontrol circuit of the apparatus is fixed to i the frame of the machinein position to be held asszeso andthe frame` of the machine in the pathof the cutter arm and is vof the two pole type having one fpole |35 (seeFig. 4) closing the circuit through solenoid |32 and a second pole |31opening 'the circuit through solenoid |33 when the cutter is up, andwith the pole |35 opening the circuit through solenoid |32 and the pole|31 closing the circuit through solenoid |33 when the cutter armcontacts the limit switch at the lowered position of the cutter.

For controlling the operations of the mechanism, referring to Fig. 4,the main lines |40, |4| are continuously supplied with electric currentand are adapted to supply the following circuits;

a forward feeding' line |42, a reverse feeding line |43, control settinglines |44, |45, a cutter downfeeding line |45, a cutter up-feeding line|41, control lines |48, |49, and a stop swinging line |50. Lines |42, 43are adapted to be alternately energized through Micro Switch supplied bya line through a hand-operated switch |52. 'Ihe Micro Switch normallycloses circuit |42 and 4opens circuit |43, and when depressed by contactwith the end |53 of a strip ofmaterial advanced by the feed rolls, openscircuit |42 and closes circuit |43 simultaneously. As shown in thedrawings, all the circuits are de-energized.

In the operation of the machine, switch |52 is ilrst closed, the motors24 and 60 being in operation and controlled by circuits not shown. Thisenergizes solenoid 90, disengaging clutch member 85, and as clutchmember 19 is engaged, the rolls 45, 41 feed the strip toward the MicroSwitch stop, a normally closed solenoid operated switch |55 in line l|42being closed.

As the advancing end |53 of the strip contacts the Micro Switch |0| itopens line |42, de-enerI gizing solenoid 90 and closes line |43energizing solenoid 82 and reversing the feed rolls to cause the end |53of the strip to recede at slow speed. At the same time solenoids 32a,B2b, in parallel with solenoid 82 close a normally-open solenoidoperatedswitch |55 in line |44 and open a normally closed solenoid-operatedswitch |51 in line |45 respectively. The closing of switch |56 energizesline |44, as although limit switch |34 is held open by the cutter arm, ashunt circuit about the limit switch by Way of a normally-closedsolenoid switch |58 is provided through line |59. The energizing of thisline |44 opens solenoid switch |55 in line |42 preventing furtherforward feed of the strip, and the strip stops. Line |44 is stilllenergized and it also closes a normally open switch |50 in line |45 anda normally open switch |5| in line |41. But switch |31 holds line |41open. In line |45, however, the de-energizing of solenoid 82a by openingof line |43 has closed switch |51 and pole |35 of switch |35 is closed,so the closing of switch |50 completes the circuit through solenoid |32which causes the cutter to be lowered.

As the descending cutter arm strikes limitswitch |35 it opens switchpole 35 opening line |45 and (1e-energizing solenoid |32. Simultaneouslyswitch pole |31 closes line |41, switch IGI being still held closed byline |45 which has a self-energized normally open switch |53 closed bythe energizing of line |44. This energlzes solenoid |33 and causes thecutter to be raised. At the same time solenoid |33a is energized andopens switch |58.

Now when the cutter arm opens limit switch |34, lines |44, |45 arede-energized, switch |55 drops to closed position, and switches |63, |50and |5| drop open and are reset for the next cycle. When solenoid |33was energizedby closing switch poles |31, a solenoid |335 was alsoenergized and closed a shunt switch |54 about pole |31, and whenlines-|44, |45 were de-energized, line |41 was opened by dropping aswitch 5| opening switch |54. Furthermorea solenoid |33c energized byline |41 closes a normally-open switch |55 in line |48 at the start ofthe cutter return and it stays closed until limit switch |34I is opened.A delayed-action time-relay switch |55, normally closed is in this line,as weil as solenoids |51, |58 operating normally-open switches |59, |10in lines |49 and |58 respectively. Energizing of line |48 closesswitches |59, |10.

Line |50 includes solenoid ||9 and this is energized by closing ofswitch |10 and swings the Micro Switch stop |00 out of the way of thecut piece of the strip as the rolls start the strip forward again.Switch |59 in closing sets up a holding circuit by way of line |1| andswitch |55 through solenoids |51 and |58 after switch |55 has opened.Line |49 includes the solenoid |12 of the delayed time relay switch |55.After an interval for which the delayed time relay is set, andsufficient for the cut piece to be removed from the path of the stop|00, the switch |55 is automatically opened and lines |48, |49, and |50and solenoid ||9 are de-energized. The spring I8 reverses the valve I3and cylinder |05 moves the stop |00 to its measuring position. Whenswitch |52 remains closed, the cycle is repeated.

Variations may be made without departingfrom the scope of the inventionas it is deiined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for cutting flexible strip material to length comprising astop, circuit control means at said stop, means for advancing the stripmaterial into pressure contact with said stop, means arranged to becontrolled by said circuit control means for retracting the materialonly sufficiently to bring it to a position in which the pressure of thematerial against the stop is substantially entirely relieved, and meansfor cutting the material to length while the material is in saidposition.

2. Apparatus for cutting strip material to length. said apparatuscomprising means for feeding the strip in one direction, a stop in thepath of the strip, and circuit control means con- .and circuit controlmeans constructed and arranged to'be actuated by contact of the stripwith the stop for retracting the strip to remove substantially entirelythe strain of' said contact therefrom.

4. Apparatus for cutting strip material to length, said apparatuscomprising cutting means, means for feeding the strip material past-saidcutting means, a stop in the path of the strip, means actuated bycontact of the strip with said stop for stopping forward feed and forinitiating a retractive feed of the strip, and means for stopping thestrip in its retractive movement approximately in contact with the stopand substantially entirely free from strain.

5. Apparatus for, cutting strip material to length, said apparatuscomprising cutting means,

electrically controlled means for feeding the strip material past saidcutting means. a stop in the path oi the strip, said stop having circuitcontrol means associated therewith, means'actuated by contact ot thestrip with said stop for reversing and stopping the feed of the strip,and electrical control means actuated by the reversing means forinitiating movement oi the cutting means.

6. Apparatus for cutting strip material to length,` said apparatuscomprising means for feeding a strip nrst in a forward direction past acutting station and then in a reverse direction, a stop in the path oithe strip, and means operable in response to contact oi the strip withthe stop to initiate the reverse travel oi' the strip and then to stopthe strip at the position approximately of initial contact with saidstop and substantially free from contact pressure against said stop.

7. Apparatus for cutting. strip material to length, said apparatuscomprising means for feeding a strip rst in a forward direction past acutting station and then in a reverse direction, a stop in the path ofthe strip, means operable in response to contact of the strip with thestop to initiatethe reverse travel of the strip and then to stop thestrip at the position approximately of initial contact, and meansresponsive to action of the stop for severing the strip while it is insaid position.

8. Apparatus for cutting strip material to length, said apparatuscomprising means for feeding a strip iirst in a forward direction past acutting station and then in a reverse direction, a stop in the path `cithe strip, means operable assacso in Iresponse to contact of the stripwith the stop to initiate the reverse travel o! the strip and then tostop the strip at the position approximately ot initial contact, meansat said station responsive to action oi the stop for severing thestrip,'and means responsive to movement of the cutting means fortemporarily removing the stop irom the path ot travel oi the strip.

9. Apparatus for cutting strip material to length. said apparatuscomprising means for feeding a strip, a cutter, means for moving thecutter across the path of the strip to sever the same and to return thecutter, a stop in the path of the strip, means operable in response tocontact of the strip with the stop to stop the advance of the strip andinitiate the cuting movement, and means responsive to movement of thecutting means for temporarily removing the stop from the path of travelof the strip.

l0. Apparatus for cutting strip material to length, said apparatuscomprising a pair of ieed rolls for feeding the strip, means for drivingthe feed rolls in one direction, a stop in the path oi the strip, meansresponsive to contact of the strip with'the stop for driving the feedrolls in the opposite direction to reverse the travel oi said strip,means for stopping the strip during its reverse movement, means for thencutting the strip while it is at rest, means responsive to action of Asaid cuttingA means for again feeding the strip, and means responsive toaction of said cutting means for moving the stop from the path of thestrip during the succeeding forward movement of the strip.

mW A. DAVIS.

